Earley's three-run homer lifts Barons to 6-2 win over Lookouts

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The Chattanooga Lookouts lost their third straight on Thursday evening, suffering a 6-2 loss to the Birmingham Barons 6-2 at Regions Field.

Yasiel Puig homered in the sixth for Chattanooga (11-16)—his fifth home run of the season—but Birmingham’s 10 hits, including a three-run blast from Michael Earley, was much offense to overcome for the Lookouts, who batted just 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position.

Chattanooga starter Chris Reed (1-2), who was tagged with the loss, allowed six runs off nine hits in 4-2/3 innings. Relievers Hector Nelo, Greg Infante and Eric Eadington combined to throw three shutout innings to close things out, but the damage had already been done.

Marcus Semien singled in the game’s first run for the Barons (17-10), scoring Daniel Wagner, and Dan Black’s two-run single up the middle scored Semien and Trayce Thompson to put Birmingham in front 3-0 after three innings.

The Lookouts chipped into their deficit in the fifth as C.J. Retherford scored on Griff Erickson’s two-out single, but Earley’s homer to left extended the Barons’ lead to 6-1 after five.

Retherford and Miguel each recorded a pair of hits for Chattanooga, while Puig, Erickson Joc Pederson, J.T Wise and Brian Cavazos-Galvez each finished 1-for-4 from the plate.